Byron L. Schultz

Friday, January 10, 2020 7:11 pm

Byron L. Schultz, 84, of Waukon, died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services are Monday, Jan. 13, at 11 a.m. at Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, with Pastor Daryl Schultz officiating. Burial is at Frankville Cemetery, Frankville. Friends may call from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon. Memorials can be made to go toward a bench in memory of Byron and Darlene, or to Frankville Cemetery, Zion United Church of Christ in Waukon, or Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Honorary casket bearers are Ozzie Quandahl, Ron Jahnke, Jim Jarms, Richard Marsh, Burnell Sanders and Kenneth Kiesau. His grandchildren will serve as casket bearers. Online condolences may be left at martinfunerals.com.

Byron LeRoy Schultz was born Nov. 26, 1935, in Postville. His parents were Cloy Frederick and Viola Magdalene (Weihe) Schultz. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Postville, attended country elementary school, and graduated from Postville High School in 1954. Byron was an excellent athlete playing all four years on the football, basketball, track and baseball teams and is a member of the Postville High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He was invited to attend a try-out for the Chicago Cubs as a catcher, but passed on the opportunity to pursue his passion of farming. He married his high school sweetheart, Darlene Mae Hughes, June 27, 1954, at the Frankville Community Presbyterian Church, where they renewed their vows on their 50th anniversary. Byron and Darlene began farming together by renting a couple of Postville area farms then moving south of Frankville, where they operated a dairy herd until 1969. Then buying a farm north of Frankville, they did custom chopping and combining for other area farmers as well as finishing cattle and raising hogs. Being conservatively mindful, he purchased a bulldozer and began making lasting improvements such as building terraces, water retention ponds, and waterways. In 2008, Byron and Darlene closed the farming chapter of their lives by moving to Waukon.
Byron was dedicated to every community he lived in, serving as a member of the Frankville Volunteer Fire Deptment, the Frankville Cheese Factory Board, and as a Deacon at the Frankville Community Presbyterian Church. Byron served many years on the Postville School Board as well as serving as president of the board. He was also active in the Winneshiek County Cattleman’s Association. Since moving to Waukon, he has been active in the Rivers and Bluffs Tractor Club, President of the Seniors Center at the Wellness Center, and became a member of the Zion United Church of Christ.

Byron and Darlene loved to travel and enjoyed taking their motor home on trips all across the country including treks to Alaska and for many years they enjoyed winter months in Gulf Shores, Ala., accompanied by their cats Pudy and Mitzy.

Byron loved people and together with Darlene enjoyed neighborhood cookouts, card clubs, bus trips to Branson, Mo., and fishing trips to Lake Pepin. At home you could find him creatively and meticulously tending to his garden while reinventing ways to save time and water. When challenges would occur he would never give up until he resolved it. Supporting his grandkids by attending their sporting and school events were some of his fondest moments. Byron was very proud of all his kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

Survivors include his children: Kent (Donna) of Frankville, Randy (Jayne) and Chris (Robin), both of Decorah, Kimberly (Chuck) Deering of Postville, and Shannon (Lisa) of Teutopolis, Ill.; his grandchildren: Bobby Schultz, Jessica (Brody) Wells, Mitchell (Christina) Schultz, Logan Schultz, Katie (Travis) Schnur, Brett Schultz, BreAnn (Mitchel) Hemesath, Kelsie (Heath) Dee, Tanner (Arin Moritz) Deering, Whitney (Dalton) Crawford, Morgan (Brandon) Johnson, Chase Schultz, Marshall Schultz, Zack Schultz, and Rourke Schultz; his great-grandchildren: Matthew, Mackenzie, Peyton, Kyzer, Aiden, Mason, Audrey, and Wyatt; a brother, Jack (Patricia) Schultz, and sister, Rochelle (Noel) Cook; sister-in-law, Pat Schultz Cline and brother-in-law, Stan Lindquist.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Darlene, in 2019; his brothers, Cloy Jr. (Lorraine) Schultz and Grant Schultz; a sister, Carole Lindquist; and a brother-in-law, Evart (Lilah) Hughes.